Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Quick and Dirty Snowflakes

I’m not a completely heartless curmudgeon. Despite having little personal use for concrete skill systems, non-weapon proficiencies, extensive histories, feats, powers, or anything else that causes character generation to go past the fifteen minute mark, I’m aware that there are others who feel differently. Some folks just like having mechanics by which to make their characters unique.

In order to acquiesce to those individuals’ desires, I resorted to the old D&D standby of the random table to address such issues without overwhelming the simple rule set I have in mind. As with the skill-less skill system, nothing here is particularly groundbreaking or unique. Such tables have a long history in role-playing games and this is just another one for that pile. My goal here, as with the skill-less skill system, was to use the mechanics already in play rather than adding new ones. Thus, most of the quirks below either have no mechanical effect or simply modify those already in the game.

At character creation, just before buying equipment, everyone who wishes to can toss a pair of percentiles to determine whether or not they have some special quirk or quality. Everyone uses the same table and the dice roll is unmodified. Everyone has the same chances of having something “special” to bring to the table for the first time. This can also help round out a character’s back story if he wants one and is currently stuck for ideas. The simple nature of the table also means that it can add a little spice to that replacement character you’re forced to roll up after losing yet another character to the dungeon without stretching character creation into an hour long process and thereby get you back in the game.

D% Roll

Character Quirk or Quality

01-05

Eye for Horseflesh

06-07

Eye for Irregularity

08-09

Free Retainer

10-12

Hard to Kill

13-14

Heirloom

15-20

I Know Something

21-23

Inspires Loyalty

24-26

Keen-eared

27-28

Natural Climber

29-32

Natural Linguist

33-35

Oh Captain, my Captain

36-38

Orienteering

39-42

Outdoorsman

42-45

Owed a Favor

46-47

Resistance to Venoms

48-49

Situational Awareness

50-52

Swift Healing

53-56

Swims like a Fish

57-58

Weapon Adept

59-61

Well Read/Mind for Miscellany

62-67

Windfall

68-90

No Special Quality

91-00

Roll Twice (Ignoring This Result Hereafter) or Choose One

Eye for Horseflesh: Character always purchases the best mounts & pack animals from the available stock. Horses bought by this character never possess negative traits and pack animals have a +10% bonus to their carrying capacities.

Eye for Irregularity: The character receives a +1 bonus to notice secret doors or traps. This benefit is in addition to whatever racial bonuses the character might already receive. Thus a dwarf with this quirk would notice traps on a 3 in 6 and an elf would notice secret doors on a 3 in 6.

Free Retainer: Character begins play with a (mostly) loyal retainer.

Hard to Kill: Character is treated as being two levels higher when reduced to less than zero hit points (I’m using Gary’s house rule that characters are dead when they reach negative hit points equal to their level or -10, whichever is lower).

Heirloom: The character begins play with a small trinket of some special worth. Roll on the table below to determine what item the character begins play with.

I Know Something: The character begins play with the knowledge of one absolutely true rumor, legend, or other bit of information about a local adventuring site. This piece of information should be determined by the referee and, while the information is true, it may lack certain other facts that obfuscate the actual legend in some manner.

Inspires Loyalty: Character possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that makes his followers and employees more prone to follow his commands. All the character’s followers, henchmen, and hirelings gain a +1 bonus to their morale. This bonus is in addition to any benefits provided by a high Charisma and can counteract the detrimental effects of a low Charisma score.

Keen-eared: Gains a +1 bonus to Hear Noise

Natural Climber: Has the ability to climb walls as a 1st level thief. This ability never improves. If the character is a thief, he gains a one-time +5% bonus to climb walls.

Natural Linguist: The character begins play with one additional language known.

Oh Captain, my Captain: The character has some prior experience in managing large vehicles of one particular type based on the circumstances of his or her upbringing, allowing him to serve in such a capacity without the need to hire professional help. Examples of such vehicles include ships, wagons, and trade caravans.

Orienteering: The character has a keen sense of direction when traveling outdoors. As a result, the chances of the character and his party becoming lost while moving overland is reduced by -10%. If more than one character in the party has this quirk, the benefits are cumulative, but may never reduce the chance of becoming lost to less than 1%.

Owed a Favor: Somebody, somewhere, owes the character for some boon or service he or she provided in the past. At the start of the game, this boon should be left undefined as to what was done and who benefited from the character’s assistance. At any time during the character’s career, he or she may decide to call in that favor with the referee’s permission.

Resistance to Venoms: Due to a hearty Constitution or previous exposure to toxins, the character receives a +1 bonus on all saving throws vs. poison.

Situational Awareness: Character is only surprised on a 1 in 6 under most normal conditions. If alone or using the optional Individual Initiative rule, the character gains a +1 bonus to all initiative rolls.

Swift Healing: The character gains a +1 bonus on all rolls to determine how many hit points are recovered from natural – and natural only – healing (regaining 1d3+1 hp for each full day of rest). As always, any interruption of this full day of rest results in no hit points being recovered.

Swims like a Fish: Character is at home in the water. The character may swim while wearing leather armor without the need for a Constitution check each round. Swims at ¾ normal movement rate.

Weapon Adept: Character gains a +1 bonus on either to hit rolls or damage rolls (determined randomly) with one specific type of weapon (daggers, long swords, spears, short bows, etc.).

Well Read/Mind for Miscellany: Character has a 3% chance per level of experience of knowing some minor fact or legend about a person, place or thing he/she has never personally seen.

Oh, I'll just chime in and add my voice to the praising choir. This stuff's just brilliant! With this table, the "Devil's in the Details" articles on FO! and the "What's my motivation?" chart, you could make positively baroque backstories - in two minutes!

(And if you make the .pdf, could you split the "No Special Quality" bracket into smaller slots? That way we could all customize our own tables and add to the fun.)

Who's to Blame

Despite having never been a professional adventurer, Michael Curtis has nonetheless deciphered cryptic writings, handled ancient maps and texts, ridden both a camel and an elephant, fallen off a mountain, participated in a mystical rite, and discovered the resting places of lost treasures. He can be contacted at poleandrope @ gmaildotcom